Territory



(No Model.) y

' E. BLANCHARD.

WASHING MACHINE. No. 496,770.'A Patented May 2, 1893.

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zve da# UNITE STATES PATENT `rnicn.

EPHRAIM BLANCHARD, OF LOGAN, UTAH TERRITORY.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,770, dated May 2, 1893.

Application filed .Tune 30, 1892. Serial No. 438,521. (No model.)

.Tol a/ZZ whom t may concern.-

Beit known that I, EPHRAIM BLANCHARD, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Logan, in the county of Cache and Territory of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing-Machines; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in washing machines; audit consists in thecombination with an internally ribbed receptacle, of an agitating drum consisting of two heads, provided with aligned radial grooved ways, and rigidly secured on a shaft which is journaled in the walls of the receptacle or vessel, its outer end havinga suitable crank attached thereto, a series of radially movable agitator bars having their ends fitted in the aligned grooves in the heads of the agitating or rubbing drum, said bars being provided with a series of projecting ngers or studs, the studs or pins on one barbeing ont of line with those ou the adjacent bars, and strips connecting the heads of the rubbing drum between the agitator bars and adapted to prevent the clothes from becoming wound around the operating shaft.

My invention further consists of the particular construction and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

I have illustrated my improved washing machine in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure l is a transverse vertical sectional view on the line a: .fr of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on the line y y of Fig. lg'and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the rotary drum, showing the construction and arrangement of its parts.

Like letters of. reference denote corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings, referring to which- A designates the body or receptacle of my improved Washing machine, which is mounted on suitable legs or standards o.. This receptacle is preferably made in the form shown in the drawings, and consists of two ends ct connected by a curved bottom B. On the inner face or surface of the bottom B of the receptacle A are detachably secured, in any desired manner, a series of parallel ribs b against which the clothes to be washedare pressed by a rubbing cylinder arrangedV within the vessel A. A transverse shaft() is journaled in suitable bearings on the outside of the walls o of the receptacle A, andone end of said shaft extends beyond one of the bearings and is provided with a crank or handle C.

On the shaft C, within the vessel A, are fixed the two parallel plates, D, to which are securely attached the heads or spiders E formed by the arms, e. The plates D are, preferably, secured on the operating shaft() by means of keys or splines, D; and in the inner face of each of the arms e, composing the heads or spiders of the rubbing drum, is formed a radial groove or way F. The radial grooves or ways F in one head of the rubbing drum align with the similar grooves in the other head of said drum, and in said aiignedgrooves are fitted the reduced ends of the rubbing or agitator bars G.

Eachv of the bars, G, is free to move inthe grooves, F, in the opposite heads of the rubbing drum as said drum is revolved, and said bars are each provided with a series of c projecting pins or studs H. The studsyor pins H on one bar are arranged between or alternately with the studs or pins on the adjacent bars, as shown in Fig. 3; and these pins H are of such length that, when the bars G are depressed to their lowermost position from the central operating shaft C the outer ends of said pins extend slightly beyond the outer ends of the arms, e in which the ends of the bar G are fitted.

The arms e forming the heads of the rubbing drum are rigidly connected together by means of strips, K, located at the inner angles orvcorners of the heads or spiders and these bars extend across from one head of the rubbing drum to the opposite head thereof, between the rubbing bars G, and serve to hold said heads firmly in position and prevent them from being displaced by action of the water or from use; and also keep the fabrics being Washed from Wrapping around the rotary shaft C of the machine.

The end walls a of the body of my machine are connected and held lirmly together by tiebolts L which extend through the walls and the legs or standards a, and on the ends of said tie-bolts are tted the nuts M. The portion of the body A between the ends a is supported and held in position by said tiebolts L.

Between the ends a is secured a strip or ledge N to which a wringer (not shown) can be attached and below this wringer supporting strip is arranged a hinged leaf O. The leaf O is hinged to one of the tie-bolts, L, by means of metallic straps, o, bent around said tie-bolt and having their ends rigidly attached t0 the leaf. The leaf is supported in a horizontal position by a prop P having one end connected to one of the tie-bolts L and its other free end adapted to take behind a stop or lug 1o attached to the under side of the leaf O.

In one of the end walls a is formed an outlet opening or aperture to permit the water in the vessel A to escape and this opening or aperture is normally closed by a suitable plug. l The operation of my invention may be briefly stated as follows: The clothes to be washed and a propel' quantity of water are introduced into the vessel or receptacle A through an opening in the top thereof, which opening is closed by a suitable cover. By turning the handle C the shaft C is revolved and the clothes are engaged by the pins on the bars G of the rubbing drum so that the fabrics are carried around in the water rand pressed closely between the bars of vsaid drum and the ribs on the interior of the vessel A. The toothed bars G are moved or reciprocated inthe ways F formed in the vheads of the rubbing drum as said drum is revolved, and the clothes are thoroughly cleansed. By turning the handle C inone direction and then reversing the movement thereof, the clothes will be turned and all parts equally rubbed. There is rno danger of tearing the clothes by reason of the same becoming clogged in one portion of the vessel A as the arms G will yield and the clothes be constantly agitated and moved about within the said vessel.

The clothes can be taken from the vessel A and run through a wringer attached to the ledge N, and the Water will pass back into the vessel A, the clothes falling onto the leaf O.

By lifting the leaf O slightly the supporting arm P falls by gravity and the leaf itself falls down at the end of the body A so as to be out of the way and allow the machine to be stored away in a small space.

I am aware that changes in the form and proportion of parts and details of construction herein shown 4and. described as an embodiment of my invention can be made without departing from the spirit or `sacrificing the advantages thereof, and I therefore reserve the right to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a washing machine, the combination of a suitable receptacle, a horizontal shaft journaled therein and a drum carried by said shaft and provided with a series-of reciprocating rubbing barsleach having a number of laterally projecting studs or pins, substantially as described.

2. In a washing machine, the-combination of a receptacle, a shaft journaled therein and provided at one end with a crank, the heads or spiders secured on said shaft and a series of rubbing bars carried by said arm and each having a number of laterally projecting studs or pins, the studs on adjacent bars being arranged alternately with relation toeach other, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EPHRAIM BLANCHARD.

Witnesses:

WILL-IAM SWIMPARD, JULIUs MEYER. 

